


Red String of Fate

by timewarp



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 12:17:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19173109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timewarp/pseuds/timewarp
Summary: Veronica can see the red string, Betty can't (or won't)





	Red String of Fate

As long as Veronica has remembered, she’s always had the red string tied around her left pinky finger. Sometimes it fades from her vision and she has to focus hard on it in order for it to reappear. No one else except for her could see this string. 

Once, she had tried following the string to see where it led. She’d taken subway after subway and walked countless blocks but the reality of the matter was that New York was huge and she had no way of knowing where the other end of the string was, if they were even in the United States at all. 

When Veronica was older, curiosity had gotten the best of her and she’d done research into the red string. It turned out the person on the other side of the string was supposed to be her soulmate. If they found each other, they’d be destined to be together forever. The frustrating thing was that her research had given no indication when or where or how to find her soulmate. She could meet her soulmate tomorrow or in twenty years. 

Veronica loved living in New York. She’d scored herself a fake ID at a young age and went out every weekend. She’d get with both men and women, she didn’t have a preference either way. With every partner she’d get with, she’d always subconsciously check their hand for that red string. When she wouldn’t see any, somehow a weight would be lifted. She was only 16 and she didn’t need the added pressure of meeting her soulmate now. Besides, there was no indication that even if she did meet her soulmate that it would work out. She’d read stories about couples who were tied together by fate but that wasn’t enough. 

When her father got arrested for embezzlement, her mother quickly moved them both to Riverdale as a chance to start over. Initially Veronica was less than pleased. She was forced to move from the best city in existence to bumfuck nowhere Riverdale. 

 

\--  
When Veronica gets to Riverdale High for the first time, she’s greeted by a girl her own age with the bluest eyes she’s ever seen. The girl sticks out her hand.

“Hi! I’m Betty Cooper and I’ll be your tour guide today,” the girl says with a smile. 

“Veronica Lodge,” she says, accepting Betty’s hand. 

 

For some reason, Veronica feels a strange sense of familiarity. Like she’s already met the other girl. But that was impossible; she’s never been to Riverdale before. The feeling is indescribable but she feels a tug inside of her whenever she looks at Betty. As they walk around the school (as if Veronica couldn’t figure how to get around herself), she feels a slight tingling around her hand.

\--  
They’re at Veronica’s place. Betty’s mom thinks that she’s sleeping over at Ethel’s. The two are in their pajamas and are sitting on Veronica’s bed, facing each other and trying not to let the newly applied nail polish on their feet touch the bed sheets. 

When Betty stretches her arms, Veronica feels her hand move towards her direction. She stares at the red string around her finger and follows its path with her eyes until she sees it. It’s faint but it’s there. She sees the other end of the red string tied around Betty’s right pinky. Veronica lets out an involuntary gasp. 

“Ronnie, you alright? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” 

Veronica just shakes her head. “Can you see it?” 

Betty knits her eyebrows together in concern. “See what? Are you feeling okay?” 

So she can’t see it after all. 

Veronica shakes her head and forces a smile. “I’m fine, nevermind. Just being silly, that’s all.” 

Betty lets out a laugh. “You’re such a dork.” 

Veronica lets out a fake affronted gasp. “Rude!”

The two dissolve in a fit of giggles. 

\--

The more that Veronica spends time with Betty, the more visible the thread gets, the more vibrant its color. The sensation of the thread around Veronica’s finger is amplified every time she’s around Betty. It’s gotten to the point where she can barely breathe.

There are moments when Veronica thinks Betty notices. Betty will get quiet of a sudden and refuse to tell Veronica what’s on her mind. Sometimes she thinks she sees Betty looking at the thread out of the corner of her eye. By the time Veronica looks up, Betty is engrossed in something else. 

Veronica can’t help but wonder. 

\---  
Betty narrows her eyes and she looks so primal and dangerous in that moment that Veronica almost gulps. 

“You are so annoying,” Betty snarls. “Do you realize how you’ve messed everything up?” With each word, she takes a step closer to Veronica until Veronica is backed up against the lockers with nowhere to go. 

Betty places a hand on the locker next to Veronica’s head. 

“Archie and I were fine until you came along and fucked it all up,” Betty continues. Their faces are inches away from each other and Veronica can feel Betty’s breath against her face. “I wish you’d never come here. Archie and I would’ve been happy.” 

Anger surges through Veronica’s veins. 

“Happy?” She snorts. “Happy? Really? Even though his red string is tied around someone else’s hand and not yours?”

Betty looks as if she’s just been slapped. 

“We could’ve made it work.”

“Yeah, until Archie would find his soulmate and leave you to be with them.” 

Betty ducks her head and says nothing. She steps away from Veronica and clenches her fists. 

“Why are you so... against this? I know you can see the red string. I know that you know that we’re soulmates. So why?” Veronica pleads. “We’re friends already. What is so bad about this?” 

Betty intakes a sharp breath. “It was never supposed to be like this,” her voice wavers. “You were never supposed to be part of the equation. I thought I had everything figured out.” Betty sniffs and wipes her nose with her arm. She purses her lips and shakes her head. “Archie and I were meant to be together. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t see his red string. I thought it’d be enough.” 

“Oh Betty...” Veronica takes a step towards her but Betty takes a step back and shakes her head. 

“Don’t.” 

With that Betty turns and leaves. Veronica can only stand there and look as Betty disappears in the distance. 

\--

Veronica skips school the next day. She needs to clear her head and doesn’t want to worry about running into Betty. She doesn’t know if she can handle being around her at the moment. 

She goes to the beach. Granted, it’s the middle of winter and freezing but she’s always found comfort in the ocean. She parks her car and sits on the sand near the waves. The water hits the tip of her toes and goes back to the sea. In and out. She takes a deep breath and really breathes properly for the first time in what seems like a lifetime. In and out. 

She loses track of time. She’s at the beach for either minutes or hours when someone sits next to her. 

“Hey,” comes a soft voice. 

Veronica closes her eyes and exhales. Of all people to be here today. 

“How’d you find me?” Veronica asks, her eyes still closed. 

“I asked your mom and when she didn’t know, I used the Find My Friends app,” Betty says. 

Veronica opens her eyes and lets out a soft laugh. “Thwarted by modern technology,” she says dryly. She rests her head against her knees and turns towards Betty who’s looking at her with wide regretful eyes. She sighs. “What’re you doing here Betts?”

“I’m here because I’m sorry, Veronica. I really am.” Betty pauses. “I was such a bitch to you. You don’t deserve that.” 

“You were upset.” 

“Yeah, and I took it out on you. It wasn’t your fault.” 

“No,” Veronica agrees. 

The two are quiet for a few minutes. They stare at the ocean waves crashing against each other. Veronica breaks the silence. 

“So now what?” 

“I don’t know.” Betty purses her lips. “Can we just... start over? Pretend none of this happened?” 

Veronica smiles. “I can do that.” She sticks out her hand. “Hi, I’m Veronica Lodge, fabulously ex-wealthy.”

Betty accepts, mirroring Veronica’s smile. “Betty Cooper, chronic overachiever. Nice to meet you.”

Veronica shakes her hand firmly and lets go. “Likewise, Ms. Cooper.” 

Veronica shifts her hands in the sand and spreads out to make herself more comfortable. Betty does the same and Veronica feels Betty’s hand against her own. Veronica looks down and she sees Betty tugging her right pinky over Veronica’s left one so that the red string is tangled around their hands. Veronica looks up at Betty’s face to see that the other girl is smiling softly. 

Veronica smiles back and squeezes Betty’s pinky. Neither of them says anything. It’s not something yet but it’s a start. It’s a promise of things to come.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an incomplete fic that I came across when cleaning out my google docs. I wrote this back in 2017 so... enjoy lol


End file.
